The ESP LTD EC-256FM Electric Guitar is a classic-looking rocker perfect for gigging on a budget. It's a stage-worthy performer with its set-neck construction and flamed maple top over an all-mahogany body. The rosewood fretboard has 22 XJ frets accross a 24.75" scale length and is designed for speed and comfort. The EC-256 sports two powerful ESP humbucking pickups with a 3-way toggle switch, independant volume controls for each pickup, and one master tone control with push-pull coil-split. ESP die-cast tuners and a tune-o-matic bridge add to the reliability of this affordable workhorse.

I ordered this guitar out of pure frustration from the past 3 guitars I've purchased, setting out to find a guitar that wouldn't cost me a kidney but would stay in tune, ALWAYS #1...Read complete review

I ordered this guitar out of pure frustration from the past 3 guitars I've purchased, setting out to find a guitar that wouldn't cost me a kidney but would stay in tune, ALWAYS #1 as you can change the pickups if you don't like 'em.I bought a middle of the road "I've been had" for MUCH MORE than this only to have it fall apart during a recording session that cost me 1/2 as much as the guitar for that weeks sessions.Next I bought a well known up & coming guitar brand that is getting alot of buzz in the metal world *Used from competition only to be shuffled around & find out the guitar had been a factory second with MAJOR neck issues.Third I bought another guitar (See "I've been had")liking the neck of the first one, but not the Licenced Floyd on it. It held up good but was snapped in 2 by a drunken studio hand.I will give Ibanez S series a thumbs up for making a comfortable guitar that sounded good, however, it don't compare to the LTD EC-256.Upon receiving the guitar(EC-256 see through black model) I noticed that the neck felt comfortable for a guy like me who don't have those "yard-stick fingers" it felt like I was finally home from a vast wasteland of guitar malfunctions, misreps from other music gear sites, & sloppy seconds.The pups rang out very similar to a LP although not as "singy" on the neck. The push/pull pot was a cool bonus that gave me options I never knew I needed for recording, but found spots for right away on my first recorded song within hours of unpacking at my home studio. Tuning was forgot about because I took it out of the box, tuned it, & didn't HAVE TO give it a second thought! There was no fret buzz, no flaws in the finish, & I was surprised at how well the hardware felt. It was more like hardware from a guitar that costs MUCH more & felt solid & durable. I was VERY surprised that there were only TWO reviews on this guitar as it handles just as well as my LTD EC-1000 & is intonated BETTER than I've been able to get the 1000.To finish up this review I would like to add that anyone who has that ear that picks up on guitars that sound great while playing, say an Eb minor, then sound out of tune when you shift to a D chord need to give this one a whirl. Finish is amazing too. My ONLY complaint is the input jack had a loose nut on it which I fixed in 5 minutes flat. If you are on the fence as I read on another review, go for it! you will certainly be glad you spent less money for a much more solid instrument than any other NEAR this price range. 1 last note - I play Metal, Hard Rock, & a little blues on the side. Works great for all although the pups are passive they are CLEAR & you can boost the distortion if you need more Ummph, & I love the way I can hear the notes with more definition than w/ active pups. I 100% would recommend this to my friends,family. My only regret is that I didn't deal with MF FIRST.

VS

Most Liked Negative Review

It's just okay

This was a good buy, but I wouldn't pay too much more. I purchased one earlier that had faulty wiring, only the neck pickup worked, and sent it back. Everything worked fine...Read complete review

This was a good buy, but I wouldn't pay too much more. I purchased one earlier that had faulty wiring, only the neck pickup worked, and sent it back. Everything worked fine on the second unit. I did have to raise the strings and re-intonate it, but that's minor. I have an LP Agile copy, an American Strat, and an SX Tele copy. The ESP is no where close to tone on the Strat, but it is comparable to the Agile and SX. I had to do ALOT more work on the SX and Agile to get them sounding good. This would be a great starter guitar, as is, and perhaps an outstanding guitar if the pickups were changed. But then you'd have a more expensive guitar with new pickups, and I would probably get an Agile or SX guitar instead.

This is a beautiful guitar. I have the See-through black cherry and the finish is flawless. The setup was perfect right out of the box and it stays in tune. The tone is sweet and the sustain is long. The neck is fast and the jumbo frets are easy to play - and no rough edges. I also like the fretboard inlays. No issues with the electronics - coil tap is nice to have but I like the humbucker sound. I bought it during a sale at Musicians Friend and consider it a steal at two-ninety-ninety.

I have 6 other guitars ranging from differenet manufacturers, and have been playing for years. This by far beats them all. Solid sounds, and sustained notes, with great action. This by far is a great guitar for any music style, any level of a musitian. Over all, GREAT BUY.

This guitar was impossible to beat on the Stupid Deal. I upgraded with Pearly Gates and a Fred. Tweaked and adjusted the action to stop breaking strings. Better than my more expensive Epis. It is now one of my favorite guitars.

This was a good buy, but I wouldn't pay too much more. I purchased one earlier that had faulty wiring, only the neck pickup worked, and sent it back. Everything worked fine on the second unit. I did have to raise the strings and re-intonate it, but that's minor. I have an LP Agile copy, an American Strat, and an SX Tele copy. The ESP is no where close to tone on the Strat, but it is comparable to the Agile and SX. I had to do ALOT more work on the SX and Agile to get them sounding good. This would be a great starter guitar, as is, and perhaps an outstanding guitar if the pickups were changed. But then you'd have a more expensive guitar with new pickups, and I would probably get an Agile or SX guitar instead.

Good buy and a good player.I played on it for a couple weeks before I even plugged it in an amp.As far as playing and sound goes,It's comparable to my lp's,strat's,prs's,and all the others.It's a keeper.

I got on SDOTD you can't go wrong with the price. First one I got had scratches under the lacquer, there is a growing trend of poor quality inspection of these import, people are taking shortcuts to match demand. The replacement one I got was a MINT condition one. Instead of a new one I wanted it to be physically inspected so I wouldn't have to return it again. The mint condition one was absolutely flawless and was in tune right out of the box, I couldn't be happier.

Import inspectors have to stop taking short cuts, and be held accountable. This is the second guitar (different guitar) I have sent back in less then a month. It's easy hold the guitar to the light then angle and search for scraches before you add paint and lacquer.

I like this axe! The tiger striped maple top is very nice. It's well balanced weight is an improvement over my Les Paul. But it is not a Les Paul. The PUPs have a different voice. I won't mod them as yet, because I want to see what they can really do. I played tis guitar through my 1964 Twin, and it had lots of voice. The coil tap does not turn it into a Telecaster and weakens the volume (I'm not a coil tap guy- just buy a Stratocaster and turn it up). I love the neck, the fret board and the big frets. No fret buzz on mine, BTW. For the SDOD price, it's win, win, win. I'm 67 years old, been playing since 1957 and have handled lots of great guitars. I think this little black cherry tiger stripe will keep me in heaven for quite a while.

I got this as a "Stupid deal of the day". I have wanted a single cut away, mahagony body electric with a maple top. For the price I figured why not. I am very pleased. The fit and finish of this instrument is very high quality. I did have to lower the TOM bridge some as it was kind of high. The pickups are not the best but work fine for 90% of what I need it for. These frets have taken some getting used to. You will want to play one before buying as they can be off-putting. The neck is not set for very much relief so a proper set up is in order. The tone you get through the neck pick up with the split on is pretty frickin cool. Through my old Fender tube amp I am able to emulate Pearl Jam tones easely. You won't find a better guitar for the price. If you like tinkering with a guitar this one will work for you. It is a nice solid platform with the potential to be an impressive guitar.

This guitar is a lot lighter than I expected when I saw its Les Paul styling, making it pretty comfortable to handle. The tone is very rich--a bit deeper than my more expensive Fender strat. That deeper tone just sounds richer and more expressive to me. It's a joy to play. I can't attest to how well it holds a tuning as I'm always changing mine for various songs, but it holds up for at least a few bends. No buyer's remorse here!